Discoveries | TMR | Three

0:4

Daniel was not at all surprised to hear of Adeline's interest in that vial.

In fact, when he had first been informed of its existence by Maggie, his brain had immediately drifted towards the girl and her bizarre need to put herself in harms way. It had been far too long since she had done something so ridiculously stupid, and in his head, it was only a matter of time before a scenario such as this one was brought to his attention.

Despite listening to every word that Nick had to say on the subject, Daniel really has no intentions to speak with her about it. The young boy has already been in talks with Lily regarding it, and she has assured him that it is well hidden within the confides of this boatyard, though she will not tell him where - presumably because she knows that, if questioned, Daniel would instantly fold. He has relayed that very message to everyone else, and the knowledge that the woman is unwilling to divulge the whereabouts of the vial to anyone except Vince seems to have brought some form of comfort to the Gladers' whom seem to care for her, but truthfully, it does nothing to squash Daniel's thoughts.

If Adeline wants it, she will get it.

Fuck, Lily could bury it in the centre of the Earth, and Adeline would still dig to find it. Her determination knows no bounds, not even in the case of a tiny tube of red liquid.

"You're early." Adeline's voice cuts through his inner thoughts as he walks down the few steps into the cabin of the boat they now call a bedroom.

Daniel had just been entering his and Adeline's boat when he saw her, hunched over on the centre of their shared bed, wearing nothing but a sports bra and shorts, with her neck twisted to an awkward angle as she tries to re-bandage the fresh bite on her shoulder.

Every single one of her blemishes is on full display to him, and whilst he had gotten used to seeing the battle-scars of her past in all their glory, it still sometimes stuns him to see just how many she has.

Her ivory and freckled skin is almost entirely covered by them. Surgical scars on the back of her right ankle, a wavy one trailing from her right foot to her thigh and an equally skewed one on her palm. The top of her head, side of her face, a name - that neither one of them can make out - scrawled into her upper thigh. Burn marks on her stomach, bite marks on her stomach. Bites on her foot, knee, forearm, and now her shoulder.

It truly is a wonder how the girl is still alive and breathing.

"Hello?" Adeline waves her hand at him. "You listening?"

"What?"

"I said you're early."

"Oh. Not really," he disagrees. "It's lights out in ten."

"Already?!" He can hear the surprise in her voice, and the small hum that follows. "Didn't realise I'd been in here this long."

"Time flies when you're avoiding everyone," he quips as he finishes securing their cabin.

Whilst Adeline is preoccupied with her shoulder, Daniel uses the moment to promptly undress; switching his sand-covered and dirty clothes with pyjama bottoms and a jumper. Once he is decent again, he looks back at her, watching her struggle to apply tape to her upper back.

He rolls his eyes, "Jesus," and he saunters towards her, flicking his hand as he draws near, motioning for her to move. "Shift over. I'll help."

"Thanks."

"Ugh, the tape is covered in your hair." His face wrinkles. He peels it from her back and lifts it to look at the injury, then rolls his eyes. "And you've got hair under the bandage."

"Well it's not very easy when I can't see it."

"Clearly."

"Can you help without complaint please?" Adeline snaps back. "Really not in the mood for your shite tonight."